


Curiouser and Archer

by raisecain



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 14:58:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13056333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raisecain/pseuds/raisecain
Summary: Something to tide us over until we learn more in the new year.





	Curiouser and Archer

**Author's Note:**

> Couldn't stop trying to work out how Alice and Robin met and grew to love each other. So, naturally, I decided to throw something out there and wait until the two amigos who write our darling show, correct me.

**Into the Woods**

A rustling of leaves. 

Not just any rustling and certainly not the cracking and vibration that would be typical of a deer looking for food or merely traipsing through the forest. This is the sound given by a person moving, stealthy yet purposeful. A curious thing on private land. 

Robin didn’t adjust her perch in the tree. She didn’t turn her head in an attempt to hear past the beating of her heart. Instead she slowed her breathing as she had learned to do on a hunt, as she drew her bow carefully, aiming. When the hood appeared she took her chance, releasing the arrow with a breath, the whisper of its flight concealing her presence. 

The figure jerked back briefly, before artfully spinning out of their cloak. Steel scraped on leather as they turned drawing a dagger. 

Robin, had lithely dropped from the tree and drawn her bow once more, another arrow nocked, her own hood thrown back. She found herself faced with a most beautiful girl, woman she mentally corrected herself after further appraisal. Damn the Merry Men! It was surprising to see her so composed, dagger loosely dangling from her fingers. The ease had Robin taken aback, a slight quirk of her brow the only indication of this. 

A smirk greeted her. The other woman cocked her head, mockingly bowed and spun on her heel without a care. She made her way to where her cloak hung from the arrow embedded in it and the tree beyond. Another arrow was loosed. Landing beside the other and barely missing a small glowed hand. 

Robin felt a fire burn unlike any she had known before. An anger built in her hot, contrasting to the cold of her voice. “Stay where you are,” came the order with a chill she didn’t feel, her voice rasping from being quiet for so long. 

The other woman chuckled and turned once more, a grin plastered across her face that only made rage boil in Robin. “And who.. are you?” She asked in an almost teasing voice, sending a shiver through her. The tone was sultry and cocky- not something Robin would expect from someone held at arrow point. 

“I think the better question is, who are you?” Robin raised the bow slightly in an effort to make it clear that she wasn’t joking. To be perfectly honest, the lack of worry was concerning her, is she mad?

This only seemed to put her adversary further at ease. Stepping forward she raised a hand as though they were business compatriots, sealing a deal. “I am Alice.”

Robin didn’t know what to make of this but her grip remained steady and her aim true. “What are you doing here? This is private property.” She tried again to make this woman, Alice, see sense.

A knowing look crossed Alice’ face, the smile not shaken and the same easy confidence present as before. “That’s not how this works,” she sang mockingly, hand still stood in offer. 

“Who are you?” Robin asked again, frustration cracking her voice and fully visible in her expression.

“Ah, but I have told who I am.”

“Alice.”

Alice laughed, a steady giggle growing louder and Robin looked up to see she was startling the birds from the trees. 

She was startled herself when she found that Alice had manouveured herself between the bow and Robin, out of the line of fire. “No dearie, Alice is me, do you not know who you are?” A genuine look of concern on her face accompanied the condescending tone. 

Realising her arrow had been lost in the shock, Robin lowered her bow. As uncomfortable as she was with the proximity, she refused to back away. Raising her chin she declared, “I am Robyn.” Unfortunately her voice wavered and the other woman proved more perceptive than she appeared. 

“Are you sure?” She asked  
Robyn looked down to meet her gaze.  
“You don’t sound very sure.” 

That anger ignited in her once more and her jaw tightened.

Alice stared at her, searching for something. She must have found what she was looking for as she stepped back and a slight furrow played on her brow. 

“Yes, I suppose you are,” she said pensively before once again turning away. 

Fed up at this point Robin grabbed her arm.   
Alice shot her an unimpressed look. “And there I was thinking you wanted me to go.”

“What I want is to know what you are doing here.” After the steeliness of her grasp, the answer came in a similar fashion. 

“Why, I am looking for someone.”

Robins stomach did a strange flip flop that she brushed off as suspicion.

“Who?”

“You.”


End file.
